Feast of All Saints
Readings: Ecclesiasticus 44:1-14; Mt. 5:1-12
November 5, 2006
The Rev. Karen Siegfriedt
St. Jude the Apostle Episcopal Church, Cupertino,
CA
Today we are celebrating All Saints’ Day, a principal feast in the Anglican Communion which takes precedence over any other day or observance. Of all the principal feast days listed, only All Saints’ Day may be observed on the following Sunday in addition to its observance on the fixed day of November 1st. Today is the day when we especially remember those saints who have died yet whose names are known by few. These saints are not the famous ones whom the artists in Italy have painted and sculptured in the churches and museums. They are the unknown saints, godly people, who have loved generously, lived faithfully, blessed us with their righteous deeds, and then quietly left this world. We will be reading some of their names later in this service.
To be a saint means to be set aside by God, committed to a life of compassion. This compassion is often expressed in prophetic witness, active service, sacrificial offerings, and holy living. All of us are saints in the making. Some of us are beginners while others are more mature in the faith. In baptism we were set aside to be different, marked as Christ’s own forever. In baptism we made a promise to love our neighbor by striving for justice, peace, and the dignity of every human being. Thus, All Saints’ Day is one of the four days recommended in the Prayer Book for the administration of Holy Baptism. What I would like to talk about today is being different. Being different means to think and act from a place of faith, in a way that is different from the cultural norms of our society. Let take a closer look at Matthew’s “Sermon on the Mount.”
Jesus said: “Blessed are the poor in spirit…Blessed are those who mourn…Blessed are the meek…Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness…Blessed are the merciful…Blessed are the pure in heart…Blessed are those who are persecuted…” [Mt. 5] Why is Jesus claiming that these folks are blessed? According to the standard secular values of our time, these folks are not blessed. They are losers. In the eyes of the world, they are losers because they have failed to be successful. They have clearly missed the mark when it comes to issues of mental health, happiness, justice, power, wealth, education, and street smarts. So is Jesus asking us to become one of these losers in order to be blessed? Who in their right mind would want to find themselves listed among these losers, left to struggle with pain, persecution and disappointment?
Today’s benedictions (i.e. blessed are you) are pronouncements, not conditions. In other words, Jesus is not saying, “if we are poor in spirit, then we will inherit the kingdom of God.” Rather, he is addressing the realities of life in an unfair world and reaching out with hope to its victims. The beatitudes are intended to assure people in every disheartening situation that they are blessed by God. Are you full of sorrow and grief? Well, be assured God loves you. Are you being persecuted as you stand up for righteousness? Be assured, you are part of God’s kingdom.
These beatitudes are words of hope and promise for those who have lost. They are also meant to teach those who follow Jesus how to view the world differently. As we mature in our faith, we begin to see God’s blessed ones in places where it would never occur to us to look. Instead of dividing the world into winner and losers, we begin to see the world filled with God’s children; people who need to be loved, blessed, and treated with dignity and justice. We begin to see abundance all around us.
In addition to being All Saints’ Day, today is also the beginning of the annual pledge drive at St. Jude’s. So not only do we hear the Sermon on the Mount, but we also hear the sermon on the Amount. The Sermon on the Amount talks about thinking differently. It talks about moving from the fear of scarcity to the joy of abundance. Each year, the people of St. Jude’s are asked to prayerfully consider how much of their time, talent, and treasure they will return to God for the spread of the gospel through the mission and ministries of the church. The standard of the Episcopal Church is the biblical tithe, or the first 10% of one’s income. For some folks, it is a joy to tithe. For others, it is a struggle. Wherever you might be on this spectrum, what is most important as a Christian, is that you can recognize and give thanks for the many blessings that you do have in your life. And then from that place of gratitude, to give generously of your blessings. In a few moments, some of our children will tithe 10% of their Halloween candy or their allowance as an example of recognizing the abundance in their lives.
My own journey of stewardship, from fear of scarcity to the joy of abundance, has had many ups and downs. Growing up in a family who struggled to make ends meet, I have a tendency to err on the side of security. I do not spend money foolishly and I try to save for the future. However, because so many people and institutions were generous with me during my times of want, I also tend to err on the side of generosity. I have not forgotten the many scholarships from various colleges and the many free lunches provided by generous friends. Let me give you one simple example.
When I was in high school, I worked hard as a nurse’s aid on the weekends. I saved my $1.65/hour for clothes, bus fare, and college. Many of my friends would insist on going out for lunch or dinner at the local Chinese restaurant. I would reluctantly go along with them but say that I wasn’t very hungry. I just didn’t have the money to spend. There was one particular friend who was very generous and knew that I didn’t have much money. She would refuse to eat her portion of the meal unless I also ate. Then at the end, she would throw in a few extra bucks to cover my portion. To this day, I can still taste those morsels Hung Su Gai, pork fried rice, and egg rolls.
It is now some 35 years later. It is my turn to be generous and to share a portion of my blessings with others. I begin my prayerful discernment with tithing the first 10% of my income to the church. Then I continue with the University of Indianapolis, the University of Massachusetts, and the Church Divinity School of the Pacific. I also give to legal advocacy programs that strive for human rights like Lambda Legal and the Southern Poverty Law Center. Finally, I remember those on the margins and pledge additional amounts. Do I have enough left? Yes! 87% of my monetary blessings remain with me to be spent on my own upkeep, needs, and passions. So for me, pledge time becomes a joy because it reminds me of the abundance in my life and of the blessings that others have bestowed upon me and I am moved to give God thanks. And so if you ever are in need of someone buying you a lunch at the local Chinese restaurant, please be sure to call on me. It will be my pleasure to return the gift of generosity.
| Updated 11/11/06 |
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